Float valve puller



H. E. MIME FLOAT VALVE FULLER Filed July 8, 1952 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent FLOAT VALVE PULLER Boyd E. Hine, Lewistown, Mont.Application July 8, 1952, Serial No. 297,671

' 1 Claim. 01. 294-90) This invention relates to float valve pullers,and particularly to devices for removing float valves from drill pipestrings. It is customary, in drilling wells by rotary apparatus, todrive the rotary bit by means of a string of pipe or tubing to which thebit is fastened. It is also customary to provide a valve structureadjacent the lower end of the drill string to prevent upward movement ofliquids in the interior of the pipe. It is often necessary to removethose valves from the pipe string for replacement or repair.

The present invention is directed particularly to a device for removingvalves of the type commonly known in the trade as a Baker float valveassembly. The valve assembly referred to is merely pushed into acounterbore at the lower'. end of the pipe and is retained therein bythe drill bit. Often during use of such valves they become struck in thepipe and adhere to the counterbore sulficiently to render it extremelydiflicult to remove them by hand methods.

The present invention is directed to a device to be engaged with adiametrically extending spider in the valve assembly whereby power maybe applied to forcibly remove the valve. The puller of the presentinvention consists generally of a pair of legs joined together at oneend and having transverse hook-like members at their free ends adaptedto engage the spider with the joined ends of the legs projectingoutwardly of the pipe in which the valve is located. Fixed to the joinedends of the legs is a means that may be engaged by a chain or otheranchoring instrumentality. In use, the drill pipe is pulled from thewell and suspended in the derrick by means of the usual draw works ashort distance above the rotary platform. In such position a valvepuller may be engaged with the valve and anchored to the floor of therig by the aforementioned chain. The draw Works may then be actuated topull upwardly on the pipe whereupon the chain and valve puller, beinganchored to the floor, will effect forcible withdrawal of the valveassembly from the drill string.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improvedvalve puller.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve puller wherein itsgrip on the valve assembly is made more firm as greater force isapplied.

Another object of this invention is to provide an efficient valve pullerof rugged construction, yet simple and economical to produce.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a valve pullerhaving twisted and pre-stressed tension members whereupon theapplication of pulling force to the members results in a tendency tountwist and thereby increase their grip on the valve assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a valve pullerreadily adapted to be actuated by power means.

Additional objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in theart as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a drill string pipe showing afloat valve therein but with the drill bit removed; a

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a valve puller constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2but showing, in dotted line, the relationship of the hooking elements tothe device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the puller of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. l but showing thevalve puller and anchor chain in their position of use; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but of a modified form of theinvention.

Fig. 1 shows a drill string pipe 2 having a central opening 4therethrough and a counterbore 5 at its lowermost end defining ashoulder 6. The terminal end of the pipe 2 .is provided with a taperedthreaded portion 8 adapted to receive a rotary drill bit of conventionalconstruction. Within the counterbore 5 is a cylindrical body 10comprising the body portion of a float valve. The body 10 may beprovided with suitable packing or sealing means 12. Within the upperportion of the valve body a valve seat (not shown) is formed and engagedby a valve member (not shown) having a stem 14 guided in a suitablebearing 16. The bearing 16 is supported in a diametrically extendingbridge or spider 18 within the body 10. The body 10 and, in fact, theentire: valve structure,

may be inserted as a unit in the counterbore 5 by merely.

pushing same therein into abutment with the shoulder 6. Subsequentassembly of the rotary bit to the threaded portion 8 effects retentionof the valve assembly in the pipe. After a period of use the body 10often becomes stuck to the walls of the counterbore and thereby rendereddiflicult to remove by manual means.

The valve puller for efiecting forcible removal of the valve assemblyfrom the pipe 2 is shown in Fig. 2. The puller consists of an anchormeans which, as shown, consists of a ring 20 fixed to the upper end of apair of legs 22 and 24. The legs 22 and 24 have lower substantiallyparallel portions and upper converging portions 26 and 28 joinedtogether and to the anchor ring 20 at a central location, such as at 30.It is to be noted that the juncture 30 lies between the legs 22 and 24.The legs 22 and 24 are provided at their free ends with arcuate andlaterally extending hooking elements 32 and 34. Each of the elements 32and 34 extends generally laterally of a plane defined by the legs 22 and24 and each is arcuately curved, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, topresent its concave side to the other hooking element. Each hookingelement is also providedwith an upper surface 36 facing the joined endsof the legs and preferably lying in a common plane. Each of the legs 22and 24 is further characterized by being twisted about its longitudinalaxis as indicated in Fig. 2 at 38 and clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.The direction of the twist applied to each leg is such as to move thefree end of its associated hooking element away from the other leg ofthe device. The twist is suflicient to permanently distort the legs andstress the material thereof.

It is to be understood that the material from which the device isconstructed is a resilient material, preferably of a high modulus ofelasticity, such as steel. Each of the legs 22 and 24 is preferably ofrectangular section, as shown in Fig. 3, but may, in fact, be of anydesired sectional shape.

In use in the manner previously described, the valve puller is insertedupwardly into the lower end of body 10 (see Fig. 5) and positioned sothat the surfaces 36 engage the uppermost edge of the bridge or spidler18 with the legs 22 and 24 on opposite sides of the spider. Fig. 5 alsoshows the anchoring chain 40 engaging the ring 20 of the puller. Withthe parts in the position shown in Fig. 5,

the draw works of the drilling rig may be actuated to exert an upwardpull on pipe 2, as indicated by the arrow at the top of the figure, andsince the valve puller is anchored to the floor of the rig, the pullerand valve as;

sembly are prevented from moving upwardly with the 7 toward each otherto effect a more secure grip on the bridge or spider 18 andpreventaccidental disengagement.

It is also to be noted that the tension in chain '40 is applied'to thevalve puller at point 30 whereas the vertical forces acting on thehooking elements 32 and 34 are laterally displaced from a line of actionpassing through 7 point 30, thus introducing a bending moment in thelegs 22 and 24, tending to move the hooking elements toward each otherin addition to the twisting effect previously described.

A modified form of valve puller is shown in Fig. 6 wherein the ring 20is omitted and legs 22 and 24' constitute the end portions of a singlegenerally U-shaped structure having a bight at 42. The bight constitutesmeans that may be engaged by a hooked chain such as shown at 40 in Fig.5 to anchor the device to the floor of the rig. It will be obvious thatthe puller of Fig. 6 will respond to stresses exactly in the same manneras described in connection With the form shown in Fig' 5.

While a single embodiment of the invention has been specifically shownand described herein, it is to be understood that the disclosure ismerely illustrative. It is contemplated that the invention include othermodifications which may fall fairly within the scope of the appendedclaim.

I claim:

A float valve puller comprising: a unitary bifurcated member ofresilient material having spaced apart leg portions rigidly joinedtogether at one end at a central juncture, means rigid with said legportions at said juncture for engaging an anchor member, the other endof each of said leg portions having a laterally extending hookingelement formed thereon, said hooking elements extending in oppositedirections transverse to a plane containing said legs and each beingprovided with a transverse surface facing the said one end, each of saidleg portions being twisted generally about its longitudinal axis in adirection to move its hooking element away from the other leg portionwhereby tension in said legs causes said hook elements to pivotally movetoward each other by the tendency of said leg portions to untwistresiliently under the influence of said tension.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS116,226 Seipt June 20, 1871 201,909 Burlingharn Apr. 2, 1878 975,174Stock Nov. 8, 1910 1,123,259 Du Bose Jan. 5, 1915 1,348,416 Hilley Aug.3, 1920 1,762,006 Young June 3, 1930 2,439,907 Poglein Apr. 20, 19482,495,649 Wilson Jan. 24, 1950

